Nine suspects arrested as part of the investigation into the crash of the “FiloJet” high-speed catamaran, which capsized off the coast of Kyrenia in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on August 30, appeared before a judge for the sixth time today.
Sea-news.az reports citing the Haber Global TV channel, that the court extended the detention period for the suspects by another seven days, taking into account the ongoing investigation.
New and crucial details regarding the technical causes of the shipwreck were disclosed during the court hearing.
The vessel’s “black box”—the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR)—was recovered on September 25 and handed over to the police.
Escorted by police officers, the device was transported to Türkiye on September 30. On October 1, the device and the data recorded on it were brought back to Northern Cyprus. Voice samples were taken from the suspects for comparison. A detailed analysis of the VDR recordings is currently underway.
The technical evaluation presented to the court stated that prior repairs carried out on the vessel were superficial and poorly executed, and the work performed was deemed technically unacceptable.
Engineers’ reports were also added to the case files. Those reports noted that a crack formed in the vessel’s fiberglass structure could expand inward, posing a severe threat to the ship’s structural safety.
The police informed the court that the captain’s testimony had been included in the investigation materials. In his testimony, the captain stated that he saw crew members carrying out repairs but failed to notify the company management.
During the investigation, notable facts regarding the vessel’s watertight doors also came to light. According to the suspects’ statements, several watertight doors that should have remained closed during the voyage were left open.
Expert opinions emphasized that had the doors been closed, the ingress of water into the vessel would have been reduced, buying more time for the evacuation of passengers. The police determined that the captain and the crew members responsible for the engine room bear responsibility for leaving the doors open.
It should be noted that 259 passengers and eight crew members were on board during the disaster. Of these, 239 people were rescued, while the bodies of 18 victims have been recovered. The search for 10 missing individuals remains ongoing.
